Motor vehicles with a hatchback commonly have at the rear a luggage compartment which can be closed with a tailgate. In small vehicles in particular, the loading space available is relatively small. If a larger object, which cannot be arranged fully inside the existing luggage compartment, is transported with such a small vehicle, normally the tailgate cannot be completely closed. When this occurs during a journey, the tailgate must either remain in the open position or be secured in an intermediate position via a strap or similar device. In both cases, a gap typically remains between the tailgate and the body or luggage compartment opening, via which exhaust gases, travel wind turbulence or particles for example can enter the luggage compartment, particularly during travel. Also, precipitation, such as rain, can penetrate the luggage compartment. This may adversely affect driving comfort of the small vehicle, which may unsettle the driver. Also, exhaust gases entering the luggage compartment may reach the passenger compartment of a small vehicle, which should be avoided.
In order to be able to transport a large object with a motor vehicle, it is generally known for example from U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0206929 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,799, EP 2368765 A1 and GB 2512096 A to arrange a load carrier on the rear of the motor vehicle, to which the large object can be fixed.
FR 2845053 A1 describes using, in its open position, a lower tailgate element of a tailgate, divided horizontally into two pieces, as a luggage compartment floor extension, and arranging a peripheral side wall on the lower tailgate element in order to provide lateral retention for an object laid or placed on the lower tailgate element. However, the luggage compartment remains open to the environment, which is associated with the above disadvantages.
EP 0556472 A2 and DE 3025145 A1 each describe a motor vehicle in which the rear part can be varied for transporting large objects.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0238122 A1 discloses a tailgate arrangement of a motor vehicle, in particular a car, with a luggage compartment extension element which is arranged on the inside of the tailgate and surrounds a cavity, and which is or can be connected in a gas-tight and water-tight fashion to a luggage compartment of the motor vehicle in order to extend, and which can be clamped between the tailgate and a rear carrier arranged on the rear of the vehicle.
It would be desirable to provide a motor vehicle with a luggage compartment of variable size, in which the above-mentioned disadvantages do not occur.